Basic example code compiling help required - I can't get any SDK examples to work

I'm very new to C++; I've worked with several SDKs now on various applications and every time come across the problem that I can't get the 'example code' to compile. This is a very broad question basically regarding ANY example code that is given over the net - what is the standard procedure to make things compile? I know how to compile code that I've written myself but when given a large project containing several CPP and H files, what do I start with? My first port of call, to open 'main.cpp' in Dev-C++ and hit the 'compile' button generally throws up errors about header files not being available and so on.

I won't give a specific example as this has happened several times. I feel as someone getting to grips with C++ that I would learn a lot quicker if I could start with code that works and tweak it myself rather than having to fumble around building things up piece by piece.

The most recent example is a set of example code provided by a company which 10 files:

-Arial.ttf
-demo_resources.rc
-icon.ico
-main.c
-simple.dsp
-simple.dsw
-simple.exe
-simple.h
-trial.c
-trials.c

Running the .exe file works absolutely fine; however if I open main.c and press compile, I receive many error messages. As an example, the first two lines of code in main.c are:

#include "simple.h"
#include <sdl_text_support.h>

This alone spews the err开发者_Python百科or messages:

1: expected unqualified-id before "public"
1: expected `,' or `;' before "public"
2: In file included from trial.c

Clearly I am doing something very wrong as this code must have compiled for someone else in the past to have generated the .exe file. Again this is not an isolated issue, I have this problem all the time.

Since Dev-C++ is perfectly equipped to deal with plain old C files, I can't see that that is the issue. Secondly, simple.h is definitely included in the correct directory. The second include though, sdl_text_support.h is obviously not in my file list above. I have searched the rest of the SDK and found the file lurking elsewhere. How do I explicitly reference the location of the header file using Dev-C++?

Any general tutorial to how to compile pre-made projects or help of any kind would be greatly appreciated.

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I like this page:

http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial.html

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I am not familiar with DevC++, but you cannot assume that if you can open main.c and press a button, then everything will work out. No build system is that smart.

If you write your own code (and you understand compiling and linking) then you can keep your files in order and know exactly how to build everything; someone else's codebase may come with a makefile or some other guide to it's organization, but you'll have to learn how to use a good build system, and the one you're using sounds inadequate.

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open the project by simple.dsw instead of main.cpp and it should work .